Manufacture of heat-insulating coverings.



1 No. 6 29,I02. Patented luly'18, 1899.

W. BDRROWE &. J. LU MLEY. MANUFACTURE 0F HEAT INSULATING COVERINE S (Application filed Aug. 9, 1898.)

(In mm.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

no. s29,|o2.. P atanted July l8, I899. w. sonnowz & J. Lumav. HANUFACTUBE OF HEAT INSULATING GOVEBINGS.

Sheet 2.

(Application filed Aug. 9, 1898.)

(I0 Model.)

I state on forms or moldboards adapted to proand to adapt the same machinery to the prosurfaces to be insulated or protected by the continuous and rapid operation in the process UNITED, STATES ATENT p, OFFICE.

MANUFACTURE OF HEA T-*INSULAT1NG COVERINGS.

'srncrrrcn'rion formingpart of Lettersglatent No. 629,102, dated July s, 1899.

application flled Angus: 9, 1398.-

To all whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that we, WILLIAM Bonnown and JOHN LUMLEY, citizens of the United States, residing at San Francisco, countyof San Francisco, and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Manufacture of Heat-Insulating Coverings; and we hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, formiug'a part of this specification.-

Our invention relates to the manufacture of insulating or heat-non-conductin' g covering to conserve'jor repel heat inpipes or other structures and to machines and apparatus for such manufacture.

Our improvements consist in the 'applica tion of rolling surfaces to shape or mold the sections of covering material while in a plasticduce tubular, fiat, or other shapes to fit upon covering, as distinguished from extrusion or pressmolding ofsuch'forms or pieces, and they also consist in various devices to carry out and apply our system of 'operatingg'as will be hereinafter described and explained.

The objects ofourinvention are to secure of molding or shaping the covering-sections by rolling action withoutpressure to a degree that will impair their porosity, to attain complete vuniformity of such covering-pieces in their internal structures and cross-section,

duction of the various shapes required in'prac tice.

To apply our invention, we provide machincry and apparatus substantially as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which--- 4 Figure I is an elevation, partially in section of a machine and'apparatusconstructed and operating according to our invention. Fig. II is a longitudinal section through the main acting devices to form and shape the material. Fig. III isv a cross-section on' the line a: a: in Fig. II. Fig. IV is an obverse side view of compound.

'pelled into a spout 6.

Serial a. 688,190. (No model.)

I. Fig. .V shows in side view an example of the rollersadapted to form two semicircular sectionsora complete tube at the same time.

Fig. V1 is a side view of one of the rollers employed in making flat slabs of the covering material.

Material for heat insulation is commonly composed of some earthy substance, such as magnesia, asbestos, diatomaceous earth, or

other infusorial material, usually mixed with some adherent fibrous material, preferably of cellular structure, whichin the process of manufacture is reduced to a plastic state by admixture with Water and then is molded into various sections of fiat or circular or other shape to fit the surfaces to which the pieces are to be applied. As the principal function of such heat-insulating material is to retain fixed air, its porosity is an essential feature,

and in molding the pieces or sections the object is to so modify and distribute any pressure applied that the pores of the material will not be closed up land the air expelled therefrom. I f

I Referring to the drawings, Fig. I represents a plant or apparatus for preparing the material and molding pipe-covering, slabs, or

staves from the usual material, which is'comminuted or 'ground and placed in'amixingtank 1, with water enough to form a plastic In this tank'l, is a rotary stirring device provided with radial vanes 2 and gearing to impartmotion from the driving-'- pulleys 3 in the usual manner. Asliding gate 4: opens ancscapc-aperture 5, through which the material, after being properly mixed, is ex- From the spout 6 the material falls into the hopper 8 and descends, as seen inFig. II, down to the first of the top or forming rollers 9 and isfdistributed laterally thereover at the front by a rapidly-reciprocating slide 10, operated} by the cam 11. This action breaks up continuity of the stream of the material, and, as beforementioned, distributes it over the section 12 to be formed. Beneath the material 7 are placed moldboards 13, preferably of a length corresponding to that of the se'ction12to be made. The moldboards 13 rest upon the bearing-rollers 14., which being positively and coincidently set at difi'ere ht heights above the plane of movement, so that they will successively, but in a gentle manner, compress the material, driving out the free water, but not compacting or condensing the mass so as to destroy its porosity.

The top or forming rollers are of various configuration, corresponding to the required sections to be made. Figs. I, II, and III show rollers and moldboards to produce semicylindrical pipe-covering pieces of a large size. They can also be of any number, so the com pression will take place in two or more stages, as its nature demands.

Fig. V shows one of a set of forming-rollers to produce two sections of the same form, but of smaller size, and Fig. VI shows a formingroller to produce flat slabs, such as are employed in coveringplane surfaces, these two being the principal forms required in use. After the sections 12 have moved out from beneath the last of the rollers 9 they pass through one or more dressing-dies 16, formed of some suitable material that slightly compresses, dresses, and smooths the outer surfaces. After passing the dies 16 the material is severed at the ends of the moldboards 13, and these, with the material upon them, are removed to a kiln or other suitable place for drying the sections, which are afterward trimmed to accurate lengths and otherwise, if necessary, ready for packing or for use.

The forming-rollers 9 and bearing-rollers 14 can be driven by any suitable gearing, but preferably by means of chains and sprocketwheels, as shown in Figs. I, III, and IV, the wheel 17 being the first mover driven from the pulley 18, motion being transmitted across the machine by means of the shaft 10, forming the axis of one of the rollers 14, as seen in Fig. III.

20, 21, and 22 are idle-wheels to maintain tension of the chain 23.

The forming-rollers 9 are held in detachable bearings 24, so .as to be readily-removed and substituted when the form or size of the covering-sections is to be changed.

In case the traction of the rollers 9 is not sufficient to cause a regular feed of the mold.- boards 13 through the machine any of the usual feeding devices can be employedas, for example, a pair of feeding-rollers, as indicated at 25 in Fig. II, or a driven chain or belt beneath the moldboards, as will be understood without illustration.

Having thus described the nature and object, of our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. The combination of feed-hopper 8, reciprocating slide 10, forming-rollers 9, bearing-rollers 14, means for positively rotating said forming and bearing rollers simultaneously, dressing-dies 1G and moldboard 13, resting upon said bearing-rollers,shaped upon its upper surface to conform to the shape of the desired product, substantially as specilied.

2. The combination of forming-rollers 9,

bearing-rollers 14, means for rotating said forming and bearing rollers simultaneously, moldboard 13, shaped upon its upper surface to conform to the shape of the desired product, and fixed dressing-dies 16, one or more, located beyond said forming and bearing rollers, in the path of said moldboard, substantially as specified. 7

3. The combination of removable formingrollers 9, progressively set at different heights above the plane of movement, detachable bearings 24, bearing-rollers 14, having their upper surfaces in a true plane, means for positively rotating said forming and bearing rollers simultaneously, moldboard13, shaped upon its upper surface to conform to the shape of the desired product, plane upon its lower surface, and fixed dressing-dies 10, located in the path of said moldboard, substantially as specified.

These features we believe to be novel and useful and ask that Letters Patent be granted therefor.

Witnesses:

I ll. SANDERSON,

JAMES L. KING. 

